Characteristic of study group patients in the context of PN cost
| PN formulation cost | No and percentage of study group patients (n=30) |
| Decreased | 11 patients (36.7%) |
| Unchanged | 5 patients (16.6%) |
| Increased | 14 patients (46.7%) |
| Range | −26.22% to +76.28% |
| Overall impact | −1.31% |
Note. Differences noted in cost of study patient PN therapy between the observation (phase 2) and intervention (phase 3). Costs were reduced when excess nutrients (ie, thiamine, ascorbic acid and zinc) were shown to be unnecessary. Costs increased when micronutrients (ie, selenium, zinc and others) were deficient and required additional supplementation. Unprecedented, industry-wide price increases in PN components confounded the impact of MNST interventions intended to reduce PN costs.
MNST, multidisciplinary nutritional support team; PN, parenteral nutrition.